tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55367074812029906932024-03-14T03:27:00.879-07:00Central Coast SistersBonnie Cardonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525195418756650081noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-86287146293419196742011-02-14T16:02:00.000-08:002011-02-14T16:02:27.862-08:00Coming Soon, Angel Lost by F.M. Meredith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsD6tdClFbnKm62XN8h1GGwlNZCKLF2xVjrWxdT7MHpxlHm6mAvMV3aFtf0SEBbhLVj4uTdoqTJLkn-Fhu9D9Rhq7uZBPCjEcBBBxNlmaLHOu5tiwXjI0fYFzHpyCQ1C8ubGV8atLu7Q/s1600/Angel+Lost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsD6tdClFbnKm62XN8h1GGwlNZCKLF2xVjrWxdT7MHpxlHm6mAvMV3aFtf0SEBbhLVj4uTdoqTJLkn-Fhu9D9Rhq7uZBPCjEcBBBxNlmaLHOu5tiwXjI0fYFzHpyCQ1C8ubGV8atLu7Q/s400/Angel+Lost.jpg" /></a></div><br />
My latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel, <b>Angel Los<i></i></b>t, will be available in March from Oak Tree Press.<br />
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Angel Lost Blurb:<br />
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As plans for her perfect wedding fill her mind, Officer Stacey Wilbur is sent out to trap a flasher, the new hire realizes Rocky Bluff P.D. is not the answer to his problems, Abel Navarro’s can’t concentrate on the job because of worry about his mother, Officer Gordon Butler has his usual upsets, the sudden appearance of an angel in the window of a furniture store captures everyone’s imagination and causes problems for RBPD, and then the worst possible happens—will Stacey and Doug’s wedding take place?<br />
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And here’s one from a fellow author:<br />
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"A pervert threatens women joggers on the beach, a robber threatens wealthy homes on the bluff, and an angel watches over the townspeople from a downtown window. F. M. Meredith's latest Rocky Bluff P. D. novel is a gentle human drama about loneliness and change, through which the reader is pulled, page after page, by an assortment of compelling criminal curiosities."--C. N. Nevets is an author of psychological suspense.<br />
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I'm gearing up for my upcoming blog tour plus in-person events.<br />
<br />
Marilyn<br />
<a href="http://fictionforyou.com"></a>Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179984154939161530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-84924952581475852492011-01-27T11:37:00.001-08:002011-01-27T11:40:04.002-08:00Sleuth Bella Kowalski Joins 21st CentruyI am pleased (no THRILLED) to announce that Andy Zhang and the good folks at Aberdeen Bay have released my latest Bella Kowalski mystery, "Murder at Cuyamaca Beach", on Kindle, Nook, Sony e-Reader, and I-pad. New worlds for Bella and me to conquer. Onward and upward!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1608300374?ie=UTF8&tag=aberbay-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1608300374" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1608300374?ie=UTF8&tag=aberbay-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1608300374</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-31913979836532559842010-12-10T14:02:00.000-08:002010-12-10T14:03:10.402-08:00AHOY!Sunny here.<br /><br />The writers conference at sea is back on board. The ill-fated Carnival Splendor (weren't we happy to miss THAT fiasco!) will set sail from Los Angeles for the Mexican Riviera on Oct. 30-Nov. 6. Yes, it's a Halloween party now! We'll be cruising down to Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and Mazetlan. The conference is free, the berths start at $549 (cheaper than any conference out there!). For those of us that got cancelled, there's a 25% discount. <br /><br />Cruise director Beverly Poitrast has put together a great package. There's champagne to toast the cruise, $50 onboard credit and an open-bar reception. Plus, we have bookbags filled with goodies (authors and publishers were VERY generous!) and we can sell books to all 3,000 people aboard. <br /><br />I'll be putting together new panels and speakers. Hope some of you can come!Sunny Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693884364418711551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-62886125753698763292010-11-06T07:25:00.000-07:002010-11-06T07:25:47.564-07:00LORI'S READING CORNER: Guest Post/Virtual Tour ~ Marilyn Meredith<a href="http://www.lorisreadingcorner.com/2010/11/guest-postvirtual-tour-marilyn-meredith.html">LORI'S READING CORNER: Guest Post/Virtual Tour ~ Marilyn Meredith</a>Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179984154939161530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-87656359383797437772010-09-14T12:09:00.001-07:002010-09-14T12:11:56.675-07:00KILLER NASHVILLE?Despite its title, Killer Nashville was one of the most benign conferences I've ever attended. There were only about 300 attendees, all Southerners except for a San Francisco agent and me. At dinner, the two of us wondered when mac 'n cheese and Jello had become “vegetable side dishes.” Welcome to Tennessee!<br /><br />I went to see Jeffrey Deaver. It amazed me that such a small conference managed to get him as keynote. I told him that he was much more fun in person than his books led me to believe. He says he likes to write in complete darkness—perhaps that explains his dark plots.<br /><br />Surprisingly, most of the participants were unpublished authors looking for agents and publishers. I turned out to be one of the “big” names on the program. Pitch sessions were constantly going on but Billie and I had side-stepped that obligation. I'm an acquisitions editor and we did pitch sessions on the fly. I picked up three promising authors and several others emailed me query letters.<br /><br />My panels were short story writing and “Lightening in a Bottle,” which was marketing. I talked about the “posse” idea of promotion, which is simply leading a pack of beginners to sites and teaching them to blog and set up personal pages (I'm on 35 such sites). That became a buzz word used throughout the conference.<br /><br />One of the panelists on the marketing panel pooh-poohed the whole idea of little marketing give-aways. Heck, I love them and love coming up with something creative. Mine usually center around food: miniature boxes of raisins because my books are set in the Fresno area, Raisin Capitol of the World. I also ordered fortune cookies from Oriental Traders with my name and book title as the fortune because a fortune cookies is a clue in FOOLS RUSH IN. The next book, WHERE ANGELS FEAR, has a bottle of heart pills as a clue. I got prescription bottles, ordered labels with my book cover and my name, and filled the bottles with candy hearts or red hots. We don't buy Cracker Jacks for the stale popcorn. We want the prize inside! <br /><br />There was little humidity for August and I never got to actually see Nashville. The city is still recovering from the floods and the Grand Ol' Opry isn't open. The hotel was “a good piece aways” as they would say in the South. Billie and I couldn't fight our need for a Mexican food fix and found a great restaurant. They screwed up her order (twice!) so we got free flan for dessert.<br /><br />I may never get out that way again, but it was a terrific, homespun conference to experience.Sunny Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693884364418711551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-48568967767029632222010-07-05T09:01:00.000-07:002012-06-27T05:51:04.477-07:00Avoiding bogus literary agents from Anne R. Allen<div>Dont' miss Anne's newest. <a href="http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/07/7-tips-for-avoiding-bogus-literary.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/07/7-tips-for-avoiding-bogus-literary.html</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-34787256463489054672010-06-29T14:45:00.000-07:002010-06-29T14:49:41.952-07:00Lurking Proudly from Anne AllenShould you listen to the folks who pressure unpublished writers to blog, build websites, and network on MyFace? Probably not. All you have to do is lurk around a few blogs. New Blogpost: <a href="http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/06/lurk-proudly.html">http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/06/lurk-proudly.html</a><a href="http://anneallen.blogspot.com/2010/06/lurk-proudly.html"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-36590030631750715302010-06-22T13:55:00.000-07:002010-06-22T14:05:50.892-07:00Public Safety Writers Conference 2010What do you get when you mix editors, publishers, agents and crime and mystery writers in a ballroom at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas? A great conference that's what. The two panels I moderated went very well thanks to great participants and there was lots more to listen to and absorb. Looking forward to next year.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-67035150435637061112010-06-07T16:03:00.000-07:002010-06-22T13:55:11.971-07:00Anne Allen on Critique Groups, 2 postsHow do you get the writing feedback you need? Does a group work for you? New blogpost http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/05/do-you-belong-to-writers-critique-group.html<br /><br />Want to vent? What's the worst or best critique you've had? New blogpost <a href="http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/06/whats-your-best-or-worst-critique.html">http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/06/whats-your-best-or-worst-critique.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-19992108052965997922010-05-18T10:42:00.000-07:002010-05-18T10:43:33.647-07:00Exclusive reads--another goodie from Anne AllenTo quote Miss Snark, "Exclusives stink!" http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/05/should-you-give-agent-exclusive-read.htmlUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-13496864323882292202010-04-27T15:48:00.001-07:002010-04-27T15:48:51.376-07:00Real men don't read? And other thoughts from Anne AllenGrown-ups don't read? Or publishers don't publish? New blogpost http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/04/grown-ups-dont-read.html<br /> <br />AnneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-2435477976498870912010-04-21T06:04:00.000-07:002010-04-21T06:07:31.587-07:00Dialog in Fiction--post from Anne AllenDialogue in fiction may be going out of fashion.. http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/04/does-your-wip-have-too-much-dialogue.html <br /> <br />Plus, for those who have been asking, a link to the Genre Wars anthology. I finally figured out how to get it on the blog.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-56249061731304489902010-04-05T14:42:00.000-07:002010-04-05T14:46:22.198-07:00Catherine Ryan Hyde’s Weekend Intensive on Self-EditingIn today’s tough market, self-editing has never been more important.<br /><br />April 24th & 25th, 2010<br /><br />Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. <br />Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.<br />(one hour break for lunch both days)<br />in Cambria<br /><br />Participants are asked to bring the first 30 pages of a work in progress, and we’ll roll up our sleeves.<br /><br />We’ll begin with the broader aspects of editing. Does it begin cleanly, and in the right place? Does every scene characterize and contribute to the overall momentum? Does it bog down in backstory? Then we’ll move on to other important considerations such as dialogue and its attributions. We’ll develop an eye for trimming unnecessary passages, and for honing sentences until every word carries the appropriate weight. Finally we’ll work on copyediting grammar and punctuation, and we’ll tackle the always difficult (especially for our own work) art of proofreading. <br /> <br />$175 <br /><br />Note: At 14 hours of instruction, this breaks down to $12.50 an hour. I understand that money is tight for everyone (myself included) but I believe this workshop will be cost-effective, because it can replace the need to hire an editor for your work. That said, if you literally can’t afford the fee, and money is the only thing stopping you from attending, please do let me know.<br /><br />Pay at the end of the weekend, and if at any time you feel you’re not getting your money’s worth, feel free to walk away and owe nothing.<br /><br />For more information, please contact me by email at:<br />ryanhyde@cryanhyde.com<br /><br /> Also, if you’re interested but can’t make the date, please let me know, as I’m <br /> considering holding another weekend intensive on the same subject in May.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-65172327204163582492010-03-30T20:26:00.000-07:002010-03-30T20:28:08.415-07:00Central Coast Sisters Rock in Morro Bay!Thanks to all who made our Celebration of Mystery at Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay on Sunday such an overwhelming success. 56 books sold! Thanks to President Victoria Heckman whose idea it was and who help work through some of the knottier details of a five author signing. Thanks to Linna Thomas and her staff who said yes, and then made it happen. Thanks to Judy Salamacha who wrote about us so glowingly in the Tribune. Thanks to our volunteers Reva, Rosemarie, and Susan H. who kept the food coming, and the raffle tickets straight. <br /><br />Thanks to our Fundraiser in Chief, Karen Kavanagh who made those beautiful baskets that enriched our kitty so handsomely and who managed to keep people in their seats for the whole two hours with the promise of still another raffle to come. <br />And certainly thanks to our authors, Victoria, and Karen as above, Susan Tuttle, and Marilyn Meredith. Linna was right, we’ve come a long way. <br /> <br />Sue, TreasurerUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-4197956294520361182010-03-23T15:18:00.000-07:002010-03-23T15:19:49.094-07:00Anne Allen's Amazing MomRead all about her on Anne's blog. <br /><br />88-year old writer (who happens to be my mom) publishes her first mystery novel with a small New England press. Pretty exciting. New blogpost. http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/03/88-year-old-sells-first-mystery-novel.html<br /> <br />AnneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-86070182032924459652010-03-01T13:05:00.000-08:002010-03-01T13:06:33.004-08:00New blog post from SinC CCC member Anne AllenNew blogpost: Nonfiction writers--should you write a book or a series of articles? Or both? http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2010/02/would-your-book-idea-work-better-in.html<br /><br />AnneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-26812291666564193662010-02-22T14:17:00.000-08:002010-02-22T14:18:00.741-08:00This just in from member Anne AllenNew blogpost: TEN TIPS FOR WRITERS from literary heavyweights—culled from the Guardian’s survey of famous authors.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-59846626215694135242010-02-07T20:05:00.000-08:002010-02-07T20:15:24.437-08:00MARKETING 101My recent visit to the Chapter was an eye-opener. Marketing seems to be confusing to some of our members and cyber socializing to sell books is foreign territory. With two very strong members of the group devoted to marketing, it seems Sisters would take advantage of our skills.<br /><br />Marilyn Meredith taught me much of what I know in marketing. Both of us are the designated "Marketing Mavens" for Oak Tree Press. <br /><br />Much of my book sales come from Internet marketing. My blogs attract readers who want to read more of my "voice." I also get asked to do interviews, invited to speak and make contacts with authors I later meet at conferences. Right now I'm promoting both Public Safety Writers and Mystery Cruise 2010, all via the Internet. <br /><br />For those of you willing, I would be more than happy to "invite" you to sites where you will get your own page. Had this been available when I began my career, I think I would have used them in lieu of a website. I will show you have to market effectively with little waste of time, how to reach the widest audience with just a few keystrokes. You'll soon realize that most of the sites are set up the same, but they reach a different audience. A thousand people here, a few hundred there--it all adds up. And $$$$ adds up. <br /><br />Contact me at sunny69@comcast.net if you want to breeze through this. I don't charge, I don't use big words. I don't know what you're waiting for.Sunny Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693884364418711551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-74788007651608533492010-01-22T20:11:00.000-08:002010-01-22T20:15:30.333-08:00Look Who's Cruisin'Hi everyone!<br />In case you haven't heard, I've been asked to put together a mystery cruise! I recently went on a veterans cruise and was asked to help organize "Mystery on the High Seas: A Cruise To Die For." <br /><br />We have a website up for details: www.2010mysterycruise.blogspot.com You can see who has signed up, what panels are being pulled together and even fun photos of my trip to the Caribbean.<br /><br />Marilyn Meredith will also be sailing with me as well. We're hoping more of you will consider this opportunity to speak on panels and sell books. The cost of the cruise is under $500 per person, no charge for the conference. <br /><br />The Carnival Splendor leaves from Los Angeles for 7 days to the Mexican Riviera with three days at sea for the conference. You know the cost of registration, meals and hotel for three days at a regular mystery convention far exceeds the price of this cruise!<br /><br />Any questions? Contact either me or Beverly (the cruise organizer) at Beverly@cruisingsmart.comSunny Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693884364418711551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-19573741400562436372009-11-30T13:52:00.000-08:002009-11-30T13:54:22.395-08:00New Blog post from member Anne R. AllenOK, we all hate labels, but it helps to know details of genre categories so we can visualize our books on the proper shelf:. <br /><br />http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2009/11/lets-play-whats-my-genre.html#comments<br /> <br />Anne<br /><br /><br />________________________________________________________________________<br />Anne R. Allen's Blog: Writing about Writing. Mostly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-14900983763554337892009-11-28T11:38:00.000-08:002009-11-28T11:43:04.058-08:00A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO COZUMELI just returned from a trip to the Mexican Caribbean. It was a cruise saluting Veterans, very patriotic (I am a Vietnam Era vet). I was on a panel of authors talking to the vets about writing their memoirs. We got together later with the travel agent who pulled together the trip and pitched the idea of a mystery cruise: Mystery On the High Seas: A Cruise To Die For.<br /><br />My head is "swimming" with all this, it happened so fast. We expected it would take two years, but the amazing travel agent has already put it together for Nov. 14-21, 2010! Contact her at <a href="mailto:Beverly@cruisingsmart.com">Beverly@cruisingsmart.com</a> She is reserving cabins with a $100 deposit right now. She'll also send you the flier.<br /><br />You can view the ship at <a href="http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/ships/carnival_splendor/default.aspx?shipCode=SL">http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/ships/carnival_splendor/default.aspx?shipCode=SL</a><br /><br />Details: Nov. 14-21, leaving from Los Angeles. Three days at sea for panels and such. Ports-of-call: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. No extra charge for the conference, just pay for the cabin. I'm really encouraging small presses and their authors to attend. No "rules" on this trip! I'm also trying to negotiate with the ship so we can sell our books.<br /><br />In my mind, this seems cheaper than mystery conventions where you pay for a room and meals--I know I've spent more than $700 at a few conventions and only saw the inside of a hotel. Plus, fans and authors are sort of a "captive" audience since they can't jump ship. (geez, now I sound like a pirate. Arghhh!).<br /><br />Okay, I'm fishing for Joseph Wambaugh, Ann Rule, Lee Goldberg and an acquisition editor from Midnight Ink. They don't know it yet--thought I'd let them enjoy turkey first. We'll see who takes the bait.<br /><br />We already have several real mob figures coming with us, people you've seen portrayed in Casino and other real-crime movies. Dennis Griffin, former law enforcement who writes about the Vegas mob, is doing a presentation with them. I've met these wiseguys and they are interesting people. They aren't allowed to bring weapons, are out of witness protection and they have written books.<br /><br />I'm not doing this for money, I don't even get to sail free! I just think it's a terrific idea and I'm glad I was asked to put the word out to my contacts. Need more information? Contacts me on my website at <a href="http://www.sunnyfrazier.com/">http://www.sunnyfrazier.com</a> I'd love to see my CCC Sisters on board!Sunny Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03693884364418711551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-86835196562032865532009-11-25T11:28:00.000-08:002009-11-25T11:30:59.139-08:00"Holiday Grind," a review by Chelle MartinBrewing Up a Holiday Mystery<br />By<br />Chelle Martin<br /><br /><br />Who doesn’t enjoy a good cup of coffee? Whether your favorite is Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, or a small town coffee shop, as soon as you smell the coffee brewing, you can’t wait for that first sip.<br /><br />Years ago I was browsing Borders and spotted a paperback called ON WHAT GROUNDS by Cleo Coyle. The story centers around a woman named Clare Cosi, her ex-husband Mateo Allegro, their daughter Joy, and a Manhattan coffeehouse called the Village Blend.<br /><br />Clare's elderly ex-mother-in-law, Madame, owns the blend. She has turned over the running of the daily operations to Clare and her son, Matt (Clare's ex-husband). Clare and Matt feel the weight of the Blend's century-old legacy on their shoulders because Madame has made it clear that she's leaving it to them after she dies.<br />Matt is responsible for traveling the world to acquire their various blends, while Clare works as a barista and supervises a colorful cast of employees.<br />Coyle’s characters interact well together, not only in their daily lives and within each well thought out plot, but also in their personal growth with each new book.<br />Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of reading the 8th book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. HOLIDAY GRIND is filled with wonderful sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Christmas. From the delightfully creative Fa-la-la-la Lattes featured in the story, to the descriptive passages of decorating, and the yearly repertoire of carols on the radio, to winter in New York’s Greenwich Village.<br />A Berkley Prime Crime novel, HOLIDAY GRIND opens with a slain Santa Claus who happens to be a friend of Clare’s and the father of a former employee. With the sleuthing skills learned in the first seven Coffeehouse Mystery books, Clare has become quite the investigator. After discovering her friend’s lifeless body, she surveys the area, noticing on the snow-covered ground a single trail of footprints leading away from the crime scene. Scorch marks on the man’s Santa suit indicate he’s been shot at point-blank range. The killer had forcefully ripped open the costume as well, causing a button to fly off—but where is the missing button?<br />Clare wonders what her friend was doing in a dark courtyard alone when the streets were desolate during a snowstorm. She notices her friend’s footprints had led to the back wall of the building to a Dumspter and several recycling bins. Scrape marks indicate a wooden crate had been dragged beneath a fire escape. Just what had her friend been looking for when he was attacked?<br /><br />While all of the Coffeehouse Mystery books are filled with plenty of good sleuthing, this hardcover book also contains wonderful recipes like Clare’s Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies, Clare’s Mini Red and Green Holiday Biscotti, Clare’s Golden Gingerbread-Maple Muffins with Warm Holiday-Spice Glaze and Nonna Cosi’s Linguine with White Clam Sauce to name a few.<br />I especially enjoyed the gl<br />ossary of Coffeehouse Terms. Here you’ll learn the difference among a latte, an espresso and a cappuccino. Did you know there are two versions of cappuccino—wet and dry? What are the names for a more intensely or weaker flavored espresso?<br />Also included is a Guide to Roasting Terms, Tips For Being Your Own Barista, Coffee Drink Recipes, and Coffee Syrups.<br /><br />You do not have to have read the prior books in the Coffeehouse Mystery series to enjoy HOLIDAY GRIND, but it may tempt you to check out the other books in the series. They would make wonderful stocking stuffers for those on your holiday gift list. HOLIDAY GRIND will be released on November 3, 2009.<br /><br />###<br /><br />Cleo Coyle is the pen name for Alice Alfonsi who collaborates with her husband, Marc Cerasini, to write the nationally best-selling Coffeehouse Mysteries as well as the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries (under the pen name Alice Kimberly). Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alice and Marc now live in Queens, New York, where they have been writing books, independently and together, for several years. Alice enjoys running Cleo’s “virtual” Village Blend coffeehouse at www.CoffeehouseMystery.com , where she shares her research into the coffee trade via “coffee picks”, maintains a message board, and posts recipes, tips, and coffee industry news.<br /><br />Alice and Marc have just been signed up by Berkley Prime Crime for three more hardcovers in their Coffeehouse Mystery series (officially that’s books 10, 11, and 12). Berkley has also signed them for three more books in their Haunted Bookshop mystery series, as well (officially that’s books 7, 8, and 9).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-81702784294417464962009-11-18T20:21:00.000-08:002009-11-18T20:25:27.847-08:00Geezer Lit from Colorado Sister in Crime Fleur Bradley<strong>GeezerLit: Plenty of Stories to Tell</strong>By Fleur Bradley<br /><br />A puzzle lady (with a checkered past), a forgetful man in his eighties and Florida’s oldest private eye--not what you’d think of when you imagine a novel’s hero. But they’re today’s answer to a growing, older readership, readers who are just as vibrant as the characters in these novels. <br />Call it GeezerLit, like writer Mike Fefeler does. Not that having an older main character solving a mystery is something new. We all remember Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher and their amateur sleuth stories.<br /> But age has gotten a new dimension in GeezerLit. Older characters now reflect the changing times and face of old age. No fading into the background for these protagonists—instead, they have vibrant lives, a sense of humor and yes, even a romantic interests. GeezerLit reflects the times, and getting old isn’t what it used to be.<br />Take Mike Befeler’s novel Retirement Homes are Murder (Thomas Gale/Five Star Mysteries). His eighty-four year-old main character Paul Jacobson deals with short term memory loss, hearing problems and even the loss of a spouse with a sense of humor. When Paul finds a body wedged in a retirement home trash chute, he becomes an amateur sleuth to clear himself as a murder suspect. The novel is full of colorful characters, and deals with the quirks of old age with a healthy sense of humor. “I have arthritis myself,” says the writer of Retirement Homes are Murder Mike Befeler. “Some days it’s worse than others. I look ahead and stay active.” He adds that even though his character is eighty-four, he’s still a vital person, with a girlfriend too.<br /> Or take Parnell Hall’s cursing, gun-toting puzzle lady Cora Felton (dubbed “Miss Marple on steroids” by Kirkus), the main character in his long running Puzzle Lady mysteries. The Puzzle Lady couldn’t do a crossword puzzle to save her life (her niece actually writes the puzzles that appear under her name), but she makes an excellent amateur sleuth. In the eighth and latest installment of the series, You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled (Bantam), Cora Felton is accused of plagiarism, and then of the murder of her accuser. The plot moves quickly, with rich characters and strong wit, and there are even a few crossword puzzles for readers to enjoy. Writer Parnell Hall’s Puzzle lady Cora Felton may look like a sweet-looking grandma type, but she still sees herself as young. “She’s had five husbands,” he says. “And her age is undetermined, a mystery.” She is a lady, after all.<br />And author Rita Lakin adds to GeezerLit with her character Gladdy Gold, a Jewish self-proclaimed PI who’s as witty and smart as the writer, most recently in Getting Old is Criminal (Dell Mysteries). Together with her sister Evvie and her Florida retiree friends, Gladdy is on the case of a peeping tom around a Florida retirement community—a case that takes the ladies undercover and in danger. Yiddish humor and warm characters make this series a satisfying read for fans. The writer of the Gladdy Gold series Rita Lakin says her main character Gladdy Gold, the leader of a group of five spunky ladies, refuses to be defined by her age.<br />So who reads these GeezerLit books? You might be surprised that it’s not just those of retirement age enjoy these writers’ work. “People of all ages buy my books,” says Rita Lakin. She enjoys the readers’ comments she gets from her website.<br /> Mike adds, “Sometimes, people get my book for their parents.”<br /> All three writers have their own stories to tell. Mike Befeler began writing after a career in high technology marketing. Rita Lakin used to write for television and worked on shows like Peyton Place and Dynasty and won many awards before writing novels. Parnell Hall had song- and scriptwriting careers, and has several mystery series under his belt, including a PI series.<br /> And all three writers, through their own insight and experiences, put a new face on age with GeezerLit. Most importantly, it’s the sense of humor with which they approach aging that redefines the term ‘old.’ Old now means witty, interesting and not done with living by a long shot.<br />Rita Lakin sums it up best with her perspective on age. “You’re as old as you feel.” <br /><br />Bio: <br />Dozens of Fleur Bradley's short stories have appeared online and in print. She recently completed a YA mystery her agent is now finding a home for. Fleur lives in Colorado with her husband and two daughters; visit her blog on all things YA at http://yasleuth.blogspot.com/ or her website www.fleurbradley.com.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-60237329387458828192009-09-01T04:28:00.000-07:002009-09-01T04:28:00.323-07:00PSWA ConferencePSWA Writing Conference 2010<br /><br />June 17 – 20 at the Orleans Hotel and Casino.<br /><br />This conference is for all writers who are interested in writing fiction for non-fiction about any of the public safety fields (law enforcement, fire fighting, ambulance, EMT, border patrol etc.) This is also the perfect place for mystery writers to ask questions first hand of those who are working in these fields. <br />For more information and registration form, go to http://publicsafetywriter.com there is an early bird registration fee good until October 31.<br /><br />Simon Wood, our keynote speaker will tell us how to create suspense. Simon has had over 150 stores and articles published and is an Anthony Award winner. His next thriller, Disgruntled will be out in April.<br /><br />Sunny Frazier is going to let us know “How Much Sex is Too Much.”<br />Sunny’s short mystery fiction has won over 30 awards. Where Angels Fear.<br /><br />“How to Plot Your Novel in an Hour” will be Michael A. Black’s topic. He’s had a thirty-year career as a police officer in the suburbs of Chicago and has written over forty articles on subjects ranging from police work to popular fiction as well as many mysteries including Windy City Knights and Random Victims.<br /><br />Joyce Spizer Foy will tell us “Sizzle in Your Screen Play Sells.” Joyce has written mysteries, true crime and non-fiction and has several screen plays in development. She is a partner in two development/production companies.<br /><br />“A Book Cover is Worth a Thousand Words” will be shown through good and bad covers by Michael and Lai Orenduff. Michael is the author of The Pot Thief and his wife Lai is an art historian who specializes in the power of images.<br /><br />Kregg Jorgenson’s magazines credits include everything from Kwon Do Time magazine to Real Travel Adventures. He’s Vietnam veteran, a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, U.S. Customs Academy, and other law enforcement schools. His topic is “How to Target Articles for Specific Magazines”.<br /><br />Steve Scarborough, forensic expert, will also be giving a presentation but hasn’t decided on a topic yet.<br /><br />If you want to be on a panel, signify on your registration form.<br /><br />You may bring your books to sell, PSWA gets 10% of the sale price.Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04179984154939161530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5536707481202990693.post-42849514111282610422009-08-31T10:14:00.001-07:002009-08-31T10:19:39.464-07:00Recent blog posts from Anne AllenThey are:<br /><br />"Querying the Right Agent," "7 Tips for Hiring the Right Editor," and "13 Reasons why your Query was Rejected. <br /><br />All can be accessed at http://annerallen.blogspot.com/<br /><br />Be sure to page down. Some of the posts have been there for a while, and this is a very busy blog that's attracted some big names. <br /><br />SueUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0